Please remember that this manual is meant only as a reference. You can probably use the program perfectly well just by the on-line help.

Menu-Matic4.5p.1

Menu-Matic 4.5 from BC Enterprises The Only System Menu Program You Need

Menu-Matic, simply put, is a menu program. It allows you tocreate a menu from which you can call your programs with the touch ofone key. For the knowledgeable user, this will save huge amounts oftime. For the novice, this can mean the difference between using andnot using a computer. For executives in charge of computeroperations, it can mean countless hours saved by not having to trainnew workers in the complexities of DOS.

DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT READING THIS WHOLE MANUAL! You don'tneed to. You just want a basic menu system that lets you get yourwork done quickly and easily. And that's what you're going to get.You should only read three sections: "Shareware Notice" (skip this ifyou really need to), "Installing Menu-Matic on your Hard Drive", and"For New Computer Users". After reading these three sections, you'llknow everything you need.

If you hit a wrong key in the Menu-Matic, a help window willpop up. If you get stuck while in the Menu Installation program, pushF1 for help.

You probably don't need this manual at all. Menu-Matic isvery straightforward. The Menu itself does just what you'd expect itto at all times, and if you hit a wrong key, a window pops up showingyou valid options.

The Menu Installation program (MENUINST.EXE) uses simple pull-down menus and has extensive on-line help. Just hit F1 at any time.The only thing you may want to brush up on are the couple of specialcharacters Menu-Matic uses (in Appendix B, near the end of this DOCfile). These are the real power of Menu-Matic; but, even use of thesespecial characters is explained in the on-line help.

This manual is meant as a reference. Refer to it if youhave any problems (which you probably won't). Right now, my advice isto stop reading and start using the program!

Menu-Matic4.5p.2

Shareware Notice

Menu-Matic is not a public-domain program. It iscopyrighted, 1987-1990 by Kevin Clark and BC Enterprises. Webelieve that this is the best menu system available at any price.We ask a small payment in return.

If you use this program and find it to be helpful, pleasesend payment of $35 for one copy, or $30 each for two or morecopies. Site licenses are also available at a low cost. Pleasesend payment to BC Enterprises, P.O. Box 18, Front Royal, VA22630.

When you send in your registration, you will receive atypeset manual, and the latest version of the program, at noadditional cost. You will receive notices of updates, andupdated versions of the program will be made available to you fora nominal fee. You will also have the chance to tell us aboutimprovements you would like to see. Your suggestions couldbecome reality. (Even if you don't register, we'd still like tohave your suggestions.)

DISCLAIMER: Kevin Clark and BC Enterprises do notwarrant this software as suitable for any particular application.We are not responsible for any loss of revenue or potentialrevenue, or for consequential, special, indirect, or otherdamages or claims. In no event shall the liability of BCEnterprises or Kevin Clark extend beyond the purchase price ofthis software. This statement shall be construed, interpreted,and governed by the laws of the state of Virginia. Your use ofthe program signifies your acceptance of these terms.

Menu-Matic4.5p.3

Installing Menu-Matic on your Hard Drive

The Menu-Matic comes with a utility to copy the filesfrom the floppy disk onto your hard drive. This is only aconvenience if you are performing a first-time installation, andyou do not need to use it if you do not want to do so. However,it is the easiest way to get the program up and running, whetheryou are a novice or experienced computer user.

If you are upgrading from an earlier version of Menu-Matic, then you should definitely use the SETUP.EXE programsince it converts file structures to the 4.5 format.

To use the SETUP.EXE program:

1. Place the distribution disk in your A: or B: drive. Type SETUP and press -Enter-. A menu appears where you can specify first-time installation, or upgrade from previous version.

2. Next, the SETUP program asks which drive to copy the Menu-Matic files TO. You choose your hard drive (probably drive C: but the program shows you which drives are available). Then the program asks where to copy the files FROM. You choose the drive containing the distribution disk (probably A:).

3. The program asks you for the directory to copy the files to. It is recommended you put it in the main, or "root" directory. To do this, simply hit Enter.

4. The SETUP program then copies the files to the directory you specified. If you are setting up the menu for the first time, you are asked if you want to modify your AUTOEXEC.BAT file to run the menu whenever you turn on your computer. You will probably want to say that you do.

5. Also, if you are installing for the first time, the setup program will ask if you want to put the Menu- Matic in your path. A "path" is where your computer looks for programs if they are not in your current directory. If you say that you do want the Menu-Matic in your path, then the setup program will modify the "Path=" statement in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file, and will also modify the MENU.BAT file. In this way, you will be able to run the Menu-Matic from any subdirectory or drive, just by typing MENU at the prompt. This is quite handy, so you will probably want to say that you do want the Menu-Matic in your path. (The new path becomes effective only after you reboot.)

6. If you are upgrading from version 3.11 or 4.0, then the SETUP will convert your old files to the new

Menu-Matic4.5p.4

format(s). If you are upgrading from version 3.11, then your MENU.DAT file and MENU2.DAT file will be converted and the PARAM.MEN file will be upgraded. If you are upgrading from version 4.0, then only the PARAM.MEN file is changed. If the MENU.DAT and MENU2.DAT are converted, then the old files are renamed to MENU.OLD and MENU2.OLD.

7. If you are upgrading from 3.11, then you need to run the MENUINST.EXE program. This will be done automatically, and all you need to do once the program comes up is exit.

8. Installation is then complete. If you wish, reboot your computer (by holding down Alt-Ctrl-Del keys at the same time) and the Menu-Matic should run. Or, simply switch to the directory in which the Menu-Matic is located, and type "menu" (do not type the quotation marks).

Menu-Matic4.5p.5

For New Computer Users

First, relax. Second, don't read this manual any fartherthan this section. The Menu-Matic system is extremely simple touse. You only need to know a few simple commands.

Chances are you only have a few programs you useregularly that you want to put on your menu. This is how to puta new option on your menu.

Step 1: Run the Menu-Matic program

Do you currently have the Menu-Matic running? If not,then you can type MENU at the prompt to run the program. (If youput the Menu-Matic in a subdirectory -- which you probably didn't-- then you'll have to change to that directory with the "CD"command.) If you told the SETUP.EXE program to add MENU to yourAUTOEXEC.BAT file, then you can also run the program just by re-booting.

We'll assume you do have the Menu-Matic up on the screenby now.

Step 2: Choose "Setup Menu-Matic" from the Menu

The Menu-Matic system is really two parts. The actualmenu, and the Menu Installation program. The Menu Installationprogram is what you use to add to, delete from, or change theoptions on your menu. You run the Menu Installation program fromthe Menu-Matic by choosing the option called "Setup Menu-Matic".(You can also run it by typing MENUINST at the prompt.)

Step 3: Add your new option

The opening screen of the Menu Installation program talksabout shareware. Read it or not, then hit Enter. Now, at thepull-down menu system, type R for record. Now type A for Add.

You are now at the screen where you add your new option.Push the F3 function key for Auto Generate. Now you need to typein the name of the "executable" file you want this option to run.For example, if you want to run PC-Write, you would type ED.EXE,because that is the name of the "executable" PC-Write file. Ifyou want to run WordPerfect, then you would put WP.EXE, becausethat is the name of the WordPerfect executable file. Theexecutable file name is the command you would type at the promptto run the program, except that you also need to add its"extension" (either .COM or .EXE).

What if you don't know the executable file name? Well,

Menu-Matic4.5p.6

have you ever run the program before? What did you type to runthe program. Just type this, and add either .EXE or .COM. Tryadding .EXE first, then .COM if that doesn't work. Or look inyour program manual.

Once you put the executable file name in and hit Enter,the program asks you which drive it is on. More than likely, youhave only one hard drive. Your current drive (probably C:) isalready highlighted, so just hit Enter.

The Menu Installation program then searches your harddrive for the program you specified. If it finds your program,it writes the necessary commands to add it to your menu. You'llstill have to give this option a name though -- somethingdescriptive so you'll remember what it does.

Now, push F4 to save your new menu option. Then, push Efor Exit and E again for Exit Program. This should take you backto your Menu-Matic, with your new menu option on the screen.Push the corresponding key and your program should run.

To add more options, just follow the procedure outlinedabove. Of course, you do not need to exit the Menu Installationprogram after each new entry. Add as many as you want, then exitwhen you are done.

That is all you need to know to use Menu-Matic. You caninvestigate some of the advanced features later, if you want to,but you don't need them.

Menu-Matic4.5p.7

Requirements to Run Menu-Matic

To run Menu-Matic you need an IBM PC, XT, AT, PS/2 or clonerunning DOS 2.1 or higher with 256K of RAM. Menu-Matic only takes upRAM while it is actually running. Once you begin an application fromMenu-Matic, it does not take up any memory. Menu-Matic has been runsuccessfully on many no-name clones, as well as on Kaypro, Laptops,PC's Limited, and Commodore computers, as well as on PS/2's.

You will probably find that it is impractical to use Menu-Matic unless you have a hard drive. While use with floppy drives ispossible, the tortoise-like speed of floppy drives means that theprogram will run very slowly, especially if you have large data files.This documentation file will assume the Menu-Matic is running from the"C:" hard drive, although it can be run from whatever hard drive orpartition you want.

Files Needed to Run Menu-Matic

You should have twelve files on your Menu-Matic diskette.These files are:

NOTE: You must start the Menu-Matic using the MENU.BAT batch file.Typing MENUMATC at the prompt will not work properly.

Menu-Matic4.5p.8

Your First Menu-Matic Session!

Start your Menu-Matic session by either rebooting, or logginginto the subdirectory containing Menu-Matic and typing "menu". Youwill notice you have several menu options on the screen. You canchoose to run an option by pushing its number (1-8) or its letter (A-H), or by moving the selection bar to it and pushing -Enter-.

The Menu-Matic is a two-level menu. On the first level youmay have three different kinds of options. You can have options whichexecute directly when you choose them (such as the "Exit to Dos" and"Setup Menu-Matic" options on the screen), and you can have optionswhich call up a sub-menu (such as the option "Utilities" on thescreen). As you may have noticed, options which call sub-menus have adash ("-") as the first character of their names. The third kind ofoption loads a whole new menu file, such as the option DOS Commands.

Choose the option "Utilities", by moving down the selectionbar or by pushing "3". You will be presented with a sub-menucontaining a few utilities. Use the selection bar or push "d" tochoose "Directory." Now you are asked to add an argument, orextension, to command "dir /w/p". Type "*.*" and hit Enter to seeyour present directory. This shows another important feature of theMenu-Matic, that is, the ability to add run-time arguments onto anymenu option.

After your directory comes up, you will be back in theMenu-Matic. Now push "4" to load another menu. This is a menucomposed entirely of DOS Commands. If you run any commands fromthis menu, you will come back to this menu when it finishes. Toget back to the top menu, push "H". You can have as many ofthese different menu files as you wish, and they can call anyother menu files.

The other sample menu is called "Applications". This hassamples for how you might enter Word Processors, Databases, etc., ontoyour menu. These may or may not actually work, depending of course,on whether you have the program in question, and if it is thesubdirectory specified. If not, you'll just get a "Bad command orfile name" message. The point in including this menu file is so youcan have something to refer to when setting up your own menus.

Menu-Matic4.5p.9

Active Keys

While you are at the Main Menu screen, there are a few otherkeys which are active. These keys are the 10 function keys (moreabout that later), and the key combinations ALT-S, ALT-M, and ALT-A.If you hold down the ALT and hit S you will see a screen giving somestatistics about the hardware and software on your system.

The ALT and M key combination shows you which "Macros" areassigned to the 10 function keys. These keys can be used in a numberof different ways, and will discussed in some detail under the sectionabout using the Menu-Matic Installation program.

The ALT and A key combination shows you what options are to berun at pre-scheduled times. This works in combination with the macrofunction, discussed later.

Notice that from anywhere except the Main Menu screen, you mayhit ESC to cancel and go back to where you started. On the Main Menuscreen, you must choose the "Exit to DOS" option to end the program.Remember, to return to the Menu-Matic, just type "menu" at the DOSprompt.

Time Tracking Functions of the Menu-Matic

The Menu-Matic has built-in functions so that you can trackhow much time you spend in your applications. The Menu-Matic does thisby writing a file showing when you entered the Menu-Matic, when youexited from it, and which choice you exited to. Thus, by comparing thetime when you exited the Menu-Matic to, your database perhaps, with thetime when you re-entered Menu-Matic, you can see how long you spent inyour database.

The format of the file written by the Menu-Matic is thefollowing:

Date Time -- Entered Menu-MaticDate Time -- Exited to (Option Name)

If you choose to keep a "Cumulative" record, the programwill always append the log of your actions onto a file called MENU.LOG.If you choose the "Daily" record, the program will keep a daily log ofyour activities rather than a running day-to-day log. The daily logwrites to a file called LOG(date).MEN. For instance, on December 30,the file name would be LOG12-30.MEN. This name is set from the systemdate, so be sure your system date is correct. Your system date is setby typing DATE at the system prompt, or putting DATE as a command inyour AUTOEXEC.BAT file.

Menu-Matic4.5p.10

Using the Menu-Matic Installation Program

When you choose an option to run from your Menu-Matic, theprogram writes a batch file and then executes this batch file.Obviously, then, the program needs to know what commands are to beplaced in the batch file. This is done by using the Menu-Maticinstallation program. THE ONLY WAY TO SET UP YOUR MENU-MATIC FORPROPER OPERATION IS TO USE THE INSTALLATION PROGRAM PROVIDED. Sincethe menu installation program is basically a database, we will refer tothe menu options as "records." Each separate line of a record iscalled a "field". A collection of records for your Menu-Matic iscalled a "Menu File".

If you are presently running the Menu-Matic, and are at thetop menu, then hit -2- to go to the installation program (otherwise,start the program by typing "menu", and then choose -2-). You mayread the opening screen if you wish, and then hit Enter.

Along the bottom of the screen is a line which shows you thecurrent Menu File. It also shows the amount of free memory you have,and also the amount of free disk space you have. If either of thesenumbers becomes dangerously low, they will flash. A flashing numberdoes not mean immediate danger, but it means you should be aware thatit could become a problem.

Along the top of the screen is the pulldown menu system. Thistype of menu system should be familiar to most users. Along thetop of the menu are the headings: File, Records, Macros, Setup,Auto Exec, and Exit. You may access these either by pushing thekey corresponding to the first letter of the name, or by movingthe selection bar and hitting Enter. Once you choose one of thesemain headings, you will be given a further list of choices.After you choose one of these, you may be given still morechoices. You will notice that, in certain cases, you may beunable to choose a command from the pull-down menu. This isbecause the command is inapplicable, such as trying to change arecord in a blank Menu File.

You can hit F1 from just about anywhere in the MenuInstallation program to receive context-sensitive help.

FILE

Open

Open retrieves a previously created menu file for you to workon. You will be given a list of all files in the current directorywith the extension *.MNU. Choose one of these to work with.

New

New lets you create a new menu file. Just type in the name of

Menu-Matic4.5p.11

the new file, the extension .MNU is automatically added. If you typein the name of already-existing file, that one is retrieved for you.

Print

Print lets you print nice reports of your menu structure.When you choose this you will have several further options, whichshould be self-explanatory.

Top Level and Linked Level

The Menu Installation program starts out at the top level ofthe Menu File. If you choose to go to the "Linked Level", then youwill be prompted by a box on the right upper side of the screen. Thisbox will appear whenever you need to enter a record name or number.You will notice that when the box comes up, it contains the name ofthe first record. Also, a pointer appears at the left of the recordnames in the list of records. Use the up arrow or down arrow to movethe pointer to the record you wish to select. The name in the box onthe right will change as you move the pointer. So, if you wish towork on the records linked to "-Utilities", you would move thepointer until it was on "-Utilities" and then hit -Enter-. The listof main level records will disappear, and the list of records linkedto "-Utilities" will appear. Now you may proceed with whateveroperations you wish on these linked level records.

When you want to go back to the main level, choose the "TopLevel" command. Of course, you do not need to return to the Top Levelto in order to exit, or to use any of the other functions available inthe installation program. You need only return to the main level toperform operations on the main level records.

Note that in order to designate a main level record as beinga linked option (i.e., one that calls a sub-menu) you must place adash ("-") as the first character of the record. There will be more onlinked options later.

Directory

This shows you any directory you specify, although only thefirst 800 files are shown. To see the current directory, just hit-Enter-.

About

This tells a little bit about the Menu-Matic MenuingSystem. You may like to pay attention to listing of the size ofthe MENUMATC.EXE program and the MENUINST.EXE program. If thesedo not match the actual size of the programs you have, then therecould be a problem. You may want to contact BC Enterprises fororiginal program diskettes straight from the source. These areavailable for only $5 each.

Menu-Matic4.5p.12

RECORDS

Adding Menu Options

This option does just what it implies. It adds new recordsto your Menu-Matic. You may place up to sixteen records on the mainlevel, and up to five records on the linked level.

You may mark a title for password protection by placing aplus sign ("+") as the first character of the title. There will bemore about passwords later as well. Note that this symbol can becombined with the dash character. However, the dash must be placedbefore the plus sign if they are combined. If you want to password-protect all your options, then use the "Password Everything" optionfrom the Setups/More Options heading.

After you enter the option name, you enter the DOScommands that you want this selection to run. These commands may be 60characters long, and there may be up to ten commands per menu option.If any command can take another argument, to be added when it isexecuted, make an asterisk ("*") the first character of the command.For instance, if the option is to be "Directory" then you might use thefollowing commands:

When you execute this option from the menu, the program will ask youto add an argument to the end if you wish: You might add on to thecommand "d:*.*" for a complete command of:

>dir d:*.*

Or, you may decide not to add any command, in which case you couldsimply hit -Enter-.

You can also add a user prompt in combination with this. Aquotation mark on a line containing the "*" symbol means thateverything following the quotation mark is a prompt. So, for theabove, you could use:

Command 1: *dir "Enter a file mask

The ability to add arguments makes the Menu-Matic extremelyflexible. For instance, you need only one option for getting all yourdirectories, rather than one option for every drive and subdirectory.Of course, specifying that an option may take an argument will slowdown speed of execution since it will require an extra step at run-time. Only use this if you think a certain command will often need anargument. For instance, your word processor may take a file name wheninvoked, so that you could use an argument from the menu. However, it

Menu-Matic4.5p.13

might be just as easy for you to enter the file name when you actuallyget to the word processor. Experiment.

Linked Options

As has been said, you can mark a title as a linked title,with sub-menus, if you place a dash ("-") as the first character of thetitle. Now for some explanation of this.

Basically, marking something as linked title means that itis going to be an option that does directly execute, but calls anotherset of options (a sub-menu or sub-options). For instance, if you havethree word processors, you might make a title on the Main Menu "-WordProcessors". Then when you chose this option from the Main Menu, youwould be presented with three sub-options, your three word processors.

This may sound somewhat confusing, but linking options isnot difficult to do. As mentioned, you first must mark one or more ofthe titles as a linked title by placing a dash as the first character.Note that when marking a title as a linked title, you need not add anyfurther DOS commands to it. Any DOS commands would just be ignoredanyway, so the title alone is sufficient. You may link up to five sub-options to any of the records on the main menu. These options may alsobe password protected by putting a plus sign ("+") as the firstcharacter of the sub-option. Also, note that you may not want to startnames of the sub-options with the same letter. When in the menu, youcan execute sub-options by hitting the first letter of the option(which is high-lighted), as well as with the selection bar. However,if more than one sub-option starts with the same letter, then the firstoption will be executed, regardless of where the selection bar might beat the time. If you password protect any of the sub-options, then youmay execute it by hitting the letter after the plus sign.

The more sub-options you use, the greater the set-up time forthe menu will become. If you are using a slow computer, such as an

8 megahertz XT compatible, then at some point you may feel the set-uptime is too much. If this happens you may want to delete some ofyour little-used sub-options. If you are using a 286 or 386 basedcomputer, then the set-up time will not be very much even if you usethe entire 80 possible sub-options. Setting up separate Menu Files ismuch faster than using sub-options.

Returning to the Menu-Matic

When specifying DOS commands, you will probably want to returnto the menu when the sequence is done. To do this you must return tothe menu directory and then execute the MENU.BAT file. If your menuis in the root directory, you might use the following commands from asubdirectory:

Command 3: cd \

Menu-Matic4.5p.14

Command 4: menu

You might use the following commands from a different disk andsubdirectory:

Command 4: cd \Command 5: c:Command 6: menu

Loading Another Menu File

To have your menu record load another Menu File, you use thesymbol "#" as the first character of Command 1:. After the # sign,you type the name of the Menu File to load, without the .MNUextension. For instance, to load a Menu File called DOS.MNU, youwould put:

Command 1: #dos

You do not need to put anything else on the other command lines,because it would be ignored anyway.

In each Menu File you use, you will want to put a record whichallows you to get back to the previous menu file, or to another menufile. If you don't put an option to return to a different menu file,then you may find yourself stuck. If that happens, hit Ctrl-Breakseveral times, then choose one of the options on the menu. Then, thecomputer should ask you:

Terminate batch file?

To which you say Y (for yes). Then run MENUINST and add an option toload another menu file.

Description and Password

After the data entry lines for your DOS commands, there aretwo more lines. These are "Description" and "Password". If you chooseto enter something in the Description field, then this text will bedisplayed on the bottom line of the Menu-Matic when the selection baris placed upon the corresponding entry.

The "Password" field enables you to enter a separate passwordfor each record, if you so choose. You can set a general systempassword (under the main pull down heading Setup, then System Password)which will be the password used if you do not enter separate passwordsfor records. In other words, if you mark something for passwordprotection, by placing a "+" sign as the first character (or secondcharacter with the "-" sign), and you do not add a password in thisfield, then the password expected at run-time will be the generalsystem password. If you do choose to enter a separate password here,

Menu-Matic4.5p.15

then that will be the password expected rather than the systempassword. If you do not set a system password or enter a password inthis field, then the Menu-Matic will accept anything for the passwordat run-time.

For security purposes, the Menu-Matic automatically addsthe command "echo off" at run-time as the first command of any option.This means that the commands executed are not displayed on the screen.If you want the commands displayed when it runs, then make "echo on"the first DOS command of the option.

Active Keys

You will note that there is a box at the bottom of the dataentry screen with a list of the function keys and what each does.Besides these function keys, the following keys and key combinationsare available for use with the data entry editor:

Moves cursor one character to the right Moves cursor one character to the left Moves cursor one word to the right Moves cursor one word to the left Moves cursor to the first data entry field Moves cursor to the last data entry field Moves cursor to the beginning of the field Moves cursor to the end of the field Erases everything from the cursor to the end of the line Delete character to left of cursor, moves rest of field left one space Deletes character at cursor position, moves rest of field left one space Toggles cursor between Insert and Overwrite modes Moves cursor down or right one field Moves cursor up or left one field

The F1 key is the help key in the data entry screen, as it isfrom almost anywhere in the Installation program. To scroll the helpup or down, use Arrow keys. Any other key besides these arrow keysends the help.

The F2 key will bring up a directory of files for you. Youmay supply a path, and you may use wildcards. When the directorycomes up, there will be a selection bar in the top left-hand corner.You can use this selection bar to insert the name of a file into thedata entry screen. Simply move the selection bar to the proper fileand press -Enter-. The file name will be placed at the spot where thecursor was prior to your bringing the directory up. This brings uponly the first 800 matching files.

Menu-Matic4.5p.16

The F3 key is the Auto Generate key. This is a very handyoperation which saves you from a lot of typing. Normally, to place anew option on the menu, you must type in the name of the program andall the commands needed to run it and return to the menu. Thisfunction automates the process by writing the proper data entry recordfor you. You can supply the name of the program you wish to add, oryou can pick from a list by pushing F1. If you supply the name thenremember that you must include the entire name, including the ".EXE"or ".COM" extension. For instance, to automatically generate arecord for Microsoft Windows, you would enter "win.com", rather thansimply "win". (If you are not sure of what the full name of theprogram is, then you can call up a directory to find out.) Once you enter the program name, you will be prompted with alist of all available drives in your system, with the highlight bar onthe current drive. You must choose which drive to search for yourprogram. If you only have one hard drive in your system, then justhit -Enter-. However, if you have a drive which is partitioned intotwo or more logical units, or if you have two or more physical drivesin your system, or if you are on a network, then you will need tospecify the drive. If your program is found, then the appropriate data entryrecord will be written. If you picked a program from the list, thenthe Menu Installation will include an "Option Name" and "Description".Otherwise, you must supply it. In any case, you may fine tune therecord as much as you like. Remember, however, that any previouscontents of the record will be wiped out. The new information takesthe place of, and is not added on top of, any old information. Ofcourse, if you decide you do not want the new information, you mayquit without saving (F5). If you use the "Pick from list" function with auto-generate,please remember that the executable file names of programs tend tochange from one version to the next. The list may or may not beaccurate depending on the version of the program you. However, youcan edit the file containing this information to bring it up to date(see Appendix C).

The F4 key saves your changes and exits back to the main menu.

The F5 key exits from the data entry screen, but does not saveany changes you may have made. If you choose this, you will beprompted as to whether you really want to quit without saving yourchanges.

The F6 keys tests the data entry record you have made to makesure that it works properly. This allows you to be sure your dataentry record actually does what you want it to do, without goingthrough the trouble of exiting the Installation program. It alsotells you if the commands you have specified return to the drive andsubdirectory where they started. If they do not, then the Menu-Maticwould probably not load correctly when returning from this option. When you choose this option, the Installation program writesa batch file called TEMP.BAT which it immediately executes. Upon re-entry, you are notified if the set of commands does not return to the

Menu-Matic4.5p.17

directory where it started. You would normally want to return to thedirectory where you started if you want to reload Menu-Matic. Limitations to this testing facility: First, the batch file is not acted on exactly as it would bein the menu program. For instance, you will not be prompted to addparamaters, or arguments, to the batch file, even if you marked acommand to take a parameter. Second, this function will work properly only if your Menu-Matic and your Menu-Installation program are on the same drive andsub-directory (highly recommended procedure anyway). If you changesub-directories, then of course, your commands will not workproperly, and you will probably just get a lot of "Bad command or filename" messages. Third, remember that while your record is being tested,the Menu-Installation program is still in memory. This means that itwill occupy about 200K of RAM which you would normally have availableto your programs. This may cause you to get a message that you donot have enough memory to run another program, if you are trying torun something which is very large, such as a database program.Getting such a message does not mean that the data entry record willnot operate properly from the Menu itself. Fourth, records that load other Menu Files with the "#"command cannot be tested.

The F7 and F8 keys perform operations on the data entrylines which contain the "Commands" 1 through 10. The F7 key deletesthe current line and moves all following lines up. The F8 key insertsa line at the current line and moves all following lines down. HittingF8 will mean the loss of whatever was entered in Command 10. These twokeys do not affect the lines "Option Name", "Description", or"Password". If you wish to delete the contents of these lines, thenuse the Ctrl-End key combination.

F9 shows you a list of DOS Command with some explanation oftheir use. When you find the one you want, hit -Enter- and it will bepasted into the record.

Changing Menu Options

When you choose this option, the program first asks you whichone you want to change. Once again, a data entry box will appear atthe right of the screen, and a pointer will appear in the listing ofdata entry records. Move the pointer to the record you wish to choose,and hit -Enter-.

If you choose to change a record which is marked as alinked option, then you will be advised of this and asked if you wantto continue. Note that there is no problem with changing linkedoptions, although it is somewhat more complicated than changing normalrecords. If you say you are sure you want to go ahead, then you willbe asked whether you want to port over the records which are linked tothis record, or whether you want the records deleted.

Menu-Matic4.5p.18

Deleting Menu Options

When you delete a menu option, it does not delete that optionimmediately. The actual deletion occurs when you exit the MenuInstallation program. Deleting it while in the installation programmerely marks it for deletion. For this reason, you cannot delete atitle and then add a title if you already have 16 titles on the mainmenu. You could however, simply use the Change option to change thedeleted title to your new title. If you decide you really want thedeleted option back, then use Change to go into the option andrestore the name to whatever it was before it was changed to"Deleted."

Note that under normal circumstances one would not want todelete a linked option. Doing so will erase all the sub-optionsassociated with the option. The program will warn you if you try todelete a linked option. If you persist, however, the program willallow you to delete it.

Exchanging Menu Options

The exchange function simply moves the menu options around onthe menus. For instance, you might have the title "Data Base" inposition 1 and want to exchange it with "-Word Processors" in positionB. To do this you would choose Xchange. Once again, an input boxwill appear to the right and a pointer to the left. However, thistime you need to specify two records rather than one. Move thepointer to the first record, and hit -Enter-. Then move the pointerto the other record to exchange and hit -Enter- again.

The "Edit" command lets you add to or modify your macrosettings. The ten macros correspond to the 10 function keys on astandard keyboard. Macros can be a maximum of 15 characters long.

When a macro is assigned to a function key, the stringassociated with the key is executed just as if the sequence of keys hadbeen typed at the keyboard. For instance, if menu option "3" is called"-Word Processors" and one of the sub-options under this is "PC-Write",you could assign the string "3P" to a function key, and hitting thefunction key will be the same as if you had typed "3" and "P" from thekeyboard. Now, suppose you had set up PC-Write to take a run-timeargument, and you wish to give it the file name of the document youwant to edit, which is called "read.me". You could assign to thefunction key "3Pread.me", which will choose "-Word Processors" then

Menu-Matic4.5p.19

"PC-Write" and then input the file name "read.me". Thus, a great dealof typing can be saved.

But one thing is missing. If you set up the macro asdescribed above, the menu would be sitting and waiting for you to hit-Enter- in order to go the PC-Write. So obviously, you need to beable to have a macro with an Enter at the end. Since an -Enter-cannot be directly placed within a macro, the exclamation point ("!")takes its place. When setting up macros, simply use an exclamationpoint anywhere you want a carriage return (Enter) character.Remember, however, that -Enter- characters are not normally necessary,since the Menu-Matic takes the characters you hit without having topush -Enter-. However, the -Enter- key is necessary to stop entrywhen adding an argument or when entering a password.

The editing keys are the same as those in the main dataentry screen. The available function key commands are listed in a boxat the bottom of the screen.

SETUP

Return To:

This specifies what Menu File to load when returning to theMenu-Matic. The default is the Menu File that loaded the MenuInstallation program, but you can change it if you wish.

Output To:

This designates where any reports are sent to, if you printany. It affects only the Menu Installation program, since the Menu-Matic itself does not print anything.

Message

This function lets you place your own message in the topcenter of the Menu-Matic. The default message is "Copyright 1988-90,BC Enterprises", but you can change it to any message up to 50characters long.

Password

When you set a password individually for a menu entry,the password is held in the regular data entry file. The generalsystem password, since it would probably afford access to more than onemenu entry, is given a bit more protection from prying eyes. Thispassword is held in a file named PSW.MEN, which is encryptednumerically. It would not be the hardest thing in the world to figurethis out, but it is something. Of course, someone can go into theMenu Installation program and find out your password, so if you aregoing to use passwords, you will probably want to password protect theMenu Installation program.

Menu-Matic4.5p.20

When you choose to enter a new system password, your oldpassword, if any, will be shown to you. Then you will be asked to typein the new password. As mentioned above, the password is encrypted (inall program versions 3.01 and higher). The password must be createdfrom the installation program. A file called PSW.MEN but not the rightstructure will probably cause the Menu-Matic to give an error messageand end. Make sure the PSW.MEN file is kept in the same directory asthe Menu-Matic. If it is not, or if the file does not exist, then theprogram will take anything as a password. The password can be up to 25characters, but anything longer than 10 characters becomes somewhat ofa burden to type every time you use the password. Note that when youare asked for a password by the program, your response must matchexactly, including case, otherwise you will get the message "AccessDenied".

PLEASE DO NOT RELY ON THIS PASSWORD SYSTEM FOR SECURITY. IFYOU HAVE SENSITIVE FILES OR NEED REAL SECURITY, THEN GET IT, BECAUSETHIS PASSWORD WILL NOT KEEP OUT ANYONE WHO IS DETERMINED. YOU HAVEBEEN WARNED.

Colors

When you choose "Screen Colors", you will see in front of youa list of the colors you can set with an example of their currentsettings. Choose the one you want to change from the list on theright. Once you pick the one to change, use the arrow cursor keys topick out the color combination you want. The colors on the right willchange as you move around, so you can see exactly what you are picking.When you decide on the right color combination, hit -Enter-. You canthen go on and set other colors, or you can exit the color settingfunction. You have three choices at this point. You may Save andExit, Exit with no save, or restore the default colors.

Other Setups

These setups are pretty self-explanatory. Use the spacebar to toggle options, the F1 key for help, and the Esc key whenyou are finished.

AUTO EXEC

The Automatic Execution function of the Menu-Matic lets yourun menu options at pre-selected times. This means, for instance,that if you have a tape backup system, you might have the Menu-Maticautomatically execute an option to start the backup every day atmidnight, while you were at home. Or perhaps, you would like to haveyour important files archived every day. You could easily set theMenu-Matic to call an option which would perform this archiving. Allthis takes place without anyone having to be on hand to start itgoing.

Menu-Matic4.5p.21

If you choose the "Edit" option from the Auto Exec main menuheading, you will notice that you are shown a data entry screencontaining ten lines. These ten lines correspond to the ten functionkey macros. In other words, let us say that you set the F1 Auto Execto run every day at midnight. At midnight each day, then, the Menu-Matic would operate as if you had pushed the F1 function key. Itwould run whatever macro you had set up with that key. So, as youcan see, there is an interdependence between the macro keys and theauto execute function. Both of these must be set for the autoexecute function to work properly. If you set the F1 function key toautomatically execute itself at midnight, but there is no macroassociated with this key, then nothing will happen.

On each data entry line of the Auto Execute screen, there arefour fields to fill in. The first field is the "Frequency" field. Inthis field you indicate how frequently you wish the option to beexecuted. You can choose one of four frequencies. Put "D" in thisfield in order to have the option executed every day. Put "W" in thisfield in order to have the option executed once or more per week oncertain specified days. Put "M" in this field to have the optionexecuted once a month. Put "O" in this field to have the optionexecuted one time only.

The next field is the "Days" field. This field need onlybe filled in if you choose any options to be executed "W"eekly. Thisfield has seven spaces with correspond to the days of the week, withthe first space being Sunday. To make the option run on certain daysof the week, place a "Y" in the space corresponding to the day of theweek. In other words, to make an option execute on Monday andThursday, then this field would contain the following: NYNNYNN. Anycharacter other than Y will cause the option not to be executed on thatday.

The next field is the "Date" field. Different parts of thismust be filled in depending on what you put for frequency. Somethingwith the frequency "D" for daily or "W" for weekly does not needanything in this field. If you specified that the option shouldexecute monthly, then you need to fill in the day of the month itshould run. For instance, if the option should run on the 24th day ofeach month, then the field should look like this: /24/ . If youspecified that the option should run one time only, then the entirefield must be filled in, with month, day and year. So, to run onJanuary 24, 1989, the field should look like this: 01/24/1989.

The final field to be filled in is the "Time" field. Thismust be completed no matter what the frequency of the execution. Onlythe hour and the minute are needed. Note, however, that this is basedon a 24 hour time format. To run at 10:42 p.m., then, you would enter22:42 in this field.

In order to move right across a line, use the -Enter- key.In order to move up or down within a row, use the up and down arrowkeys. In order to move left, or backwards, in a line, use the -Esc-

Menu-Matic4.5p.22

key.

NOTE: If you use Auto Exec to run an option which is passwordprotected, your macro will also have to include the password and the-Enter- symbol (!). Otherwise, the computer will be sitting waitingfor the password, and the option will not be run.

EXIT

Under this main menu heading are two commands: "Shell to DOS"and "Exit". If you choose Shell then you will be placed out at thesystem prompt where you may do whatever it is you want to do. When youare ready to return to the Installation program, type "Exit" at thesystem prompt.

It is very important that you exit the program through theExit Program (not the "Shell to DOS") command. Exiting in any otherway can cause some data or Menu-Matic setup parameters to be lost.Furthermore, if you have made any changes in your sub-level filestructure, then exiting properly is doubly important, because your*.MN2 file needs to be sorted in order to run properly. Changing thefile and then exiting improperly will cause the Menu-Matic to workincorrectly with linked options. If this happens, though, you canmerely run the Menu Installation program and then exit normally, sothat the *.MN2 file will be properly sorted.

Please also note that you need to have sufficient diskspace to write a temporary file when the .MN2 file is sorted.The temporary space needed is equivalent to the size of the .MN2file. After the file is sorted, the old file is kept but renamedto .BAK. The .BAK file does contain any changes you may havemade during the session, but the file may or may not be properlysorted for use with the Menu-Matic. The Menu Installationprogram also needs disk space if you delete any records.Deletion of records is accomplished by writing a new filewithout any records marked for deletion. This means that youwill need some free disk space. If you run out of disk space atany time, you will be prompted to Shell to DOS and delete anyunnecessary files. An even better idea, however, is to makesure that you have enough disk space in the first place. If youkeep about 100K of disk free, you should not have any problemswith running out of space.

Menu-Matic4.5p.23

Appendix A

How to Optimize Menu-Matic for Fastest Performance

The Menu-Matic is written in BASIC 7.0 which loads andruns very quickly. Even with the menu filled to capacity, theload and execute times should be very fast. As has beenpreviously said, however, the larger number of linked options youhave, the more start up time will be necessary, even though thenew (in 4.X) .MNU sorting speeds loading time. A few things canbe done to make the Menu-Matic, as well as many of your otherapplications, run faster.

The first thing to do is to add a line to your CONFIG.SYSfile. (Read your DOS manual for more information on this file if youare not familiar with it.) This line is "BUFFERS=20". Essentially abuffer holds frequently used information, and, up to a certain point,the larger number of buffers you have the better. 20 seems to be aboutright, since each buffer does take up memory. Adding this line willmake your batch files run 50% faster at least, and will speed manyother operations, such as getting a directory.

The second thing you can do is to get a good disk cachingprogram. Like buffers, a disk caching program holds recently usedinformation in the computer's memory, so that when it is needed thenext time, it is already there. This will make all of your softwarerun MUCH faster, not just the Menu-Matic. If you don't have oneyet, get one. You'll bless us for this advice.

Menu-Matic4.5p.24

Appendix B

Special Symbols

As mentioned above, there are several special characters whichthe Menu-Matic uses to denote different things. If these lookintimidating to you, or you think that it is just more to learn, don'tworry because you can set up a perfectly functional menu systemwithout using a single one of these special characters. If you arenew to computers, and you don't need the bother of learning morearchaic commands, then skip this section entirely.

- First character of option name denotes that this option brings up a sub-menu . Using linked options lets you have up to 80 options per menu file. Otherwise, you can only have 16.

Example: Option Name: -Word Processors

+ First (or second, if used with "-") character of an option name denotes password protection. If you intend to password protect everything, then use the Password Everything function under Setup/Other Setups.

" Used in conjunction with the "*" to give a prompt to the user when entering a run-time parameter

Example: Command 2: *ed "Enter a word processing file name

# Used as the first character of Command 1, this loads a new menu data file.

Example: Command 1: #dos Example: Command 1: #games

Menu-Matic4.5p.25

Appendix C

Modifying the PROGRAMS.MEN file and DOSCOMM.MEN file

The DOSCOMM.MEN files and PROGRAMS.MEN files are meant tobe easily modifiable, primarily for multi-copy installations, aswell as for consultants and third-party vendors. Tailoring thesefiles to your needs, or the needs of your clients, makes settingup the menu much easier. Both files are straight ASCII text incomma delimited format. Needless to say, though, you would bewell-advised to make a backup of either file if you edit it.

The DOSCOMM.MEN is by far the simpler of the two files.It contains DOS commands which can be popped up in a window andpasted into records in the Menu Installation Program. Itcontains one DOS command per line, with the command (in allcapitals, though it need not be), then two dashes, then adescription of use, then an example.

In order to add new DOS commands to this list, or editthe old ones, just open the file with an ASCII word processor.Follow the format as outlined above. The first 8 characters ofeach line are considered to be the DOS command itself. When thisis pasted into the record, it is trimmed of trailing blanks.Remember two things. First, try not to make a line longer thanthe longest current line, or else the symmetry of the box will bethrown off. Second, you can only have up to 100 DOS commands.

The PROGRAMS.MEN file is a little more complicated, andyou'll have to be careful to keep the right number of fields,etc. The PROGRAMS.MEN file has four pieces of information perline, separated by commas and enclosed in quotation marks. Firstis the title of the program, e.g., "Word Perfect". Second is theactual exectuable file name of the program, e.g., "wp.exe" forWord Perfect. Third is the description of the program, e.g.,"For all your word processing needs". Fourth is a user prompt toenter a parameter for the program, e.g., "Enter a Word Perfectfile name" for the Word Perfect record. You can have up to 400programs in this pick list.

If you modify this file, you must be careful to make surethat you keep the proper number of commas and quotation marks perline. Particularly remember that, even if you leave one of thefour fields blank, you still need to put a set of quotation marksand a comma. If you don't keep the proper structure in thisfile, then the "Pick from list" function will not work properlyat all. An experienced programmer, computer manager, consultant,etc., should have no trouble understanding and maintaining theproper file structure. If you do not feel competent to do this,then don't try to change this file.

Menu-Matic4.5p.26

If you have any questions or comments please write:

BC Enterprises P.O. Box 18 Front Royal, VA 22630

or call:

Phone (703) 635-9998 BBS (703) 635-7528

QuickBASIC, Turbo BASIC, PC-Write, Mace Utilities and any otherprograms mentioned are trademarks of their respective developers.